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Commentary on Isaiah 58 verses 13–14
Great stress was always laid upon the due observance of the sabbath day, and it was particularly required from the Jews when they were captives in Babylon, because by keeping that day, in honour of the Creator, they distinguished themselves from the worshippers of the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth. See Isa 56:1, Isa 56:2, where keeping the sabbath is joined, as here, with keeping judgment and doing justice. Some, indeed, understand this of the day of atonement, which they think is the fast spoken of in the former part of the chapter, and which is called a sabbath of rest, Lev 23:32. But, as the fasts before spoken of seem to be those that were occasional, so this sabbath is doubtless the weekly sabbath, that great sign between God and his professing people - his appointing it a sign of his favour to them and their observing it a sign of their obedience to him. Now observe here,
I. How the sabbath is to be sanctified (Isa 58:13); and, there remaining still a sabbatism for the people of God, this law of the sabbath is still binding to us on our Lord's day.
1.Nothing must be done that puts contempt upon the sabbath day, or looks like having mean thoughts of it, when God has so highly dignified it. We must turn away our foot from the sabbath, from trampling upon it, as profane atheistical people do, from travelling on that day (so some); we must turn away our foot from doing out pleasure on that holy day, that is, from living at large, and taking a liberty to do what we please on sabbath days, without the control and restraint of conscience, or from indulging ourselves in the pleasures of sense, in which the modern Jews wickedly place the sanctification of the sabbath, though it is as great a profanation of it as any thing. On sabbath days we must not walk in our own ways (that is, not follow our callings), not find our own pleasure (that is, not follow our sports and recreations); nay, we must not speak our own words, words that concern either our callings or our pleasures; we must not allow ourselves a liberty of speech on that day as on other days, for we must then mind God's ways, make religion the business of the day; we must choose the things that please him; and speak his words, speak of divine things as we sit in the house and walk by the way. In all we say and do we must put a difference between this day and other days.
2.Every thing must be done that puts an honour on the day and is expressive of our high thoughts of it. We must call it a delight, not a task and a burden; we must delight ourselves in it, in the restraints it lays upon us and the services it obliges us to. We must be in our element when we are worshipping God, and in communion with him. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! We must not only count it a delight, but call it so, must openly profess the complacency we take in the day and the duties of it. We must call it so to God, in thanksgiving for it and earnest desire of his grace to enable us to do the work of the day in its day, because we delight in it. We must call it so to others, to invite them to come and share in the pleasure of it; and we must call it so to ourselves, that we may not entertain the least thought of wishing the sabbath gone that we may sell corn. We must call it the Lord's holy day, and honourable. We must call it holy, separated from common use and devoted to God and to his service, must call it the holy of the Lord, the day which he has sanctified to himself. Even in Old Testament times the sabbath was called the Lord's day, and therefore it is fitly called so still, and for a further reason, because it is the Lord Christ's day, Rev 1:10. It is holy because it is the Lord's day, and upon both accounts it is honourable. It is a beauty of holiness that is upon it; it is ancient, and its antiquity is its honour; and we must make it appear that we look upon it as honourable by honouring God on that day. We put honour upon the day when we give honour to him that instituted it, and to whose honour it is dedicated.
II. What the reward is of the sabbath - sanctification, Isa 58:14. If we thus remember the sabbath day to keep it holy,
1.We shall have the comfort of it; the work will be its own wages. If we call the sabbath a delight, then shall we delight ourselves in the Lord; he will more and more manifest himself to us as the delightful subject of our thoughts and meditations and the delightful object of our best affections. Note, The more pleasure we take in serving God the more pleasure we shall find in it. If we go about duty with cheerfulness, we shall go from it with satisfaction and shall have reason to say, "It is good to be here, good to draw near to God."
2.We shall have the honour of it: I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, which denotes not only a great security (as that, Isa 32:16, He shall dwell on high), but great dignity and advancement. "Thou shalt ride in state, shalt appear conspicuous, and the eyes of all thy neighbours shall be upon thee." It was said of Israel, when God led them triumphantly out of Egypt, that he made them to ride on the high places of the earth, Deu 32:12, Deu 32:13. Those that honour God and his sabbath he will thus honour. If God by his grace enable us to live above the world, and so to manage it as not only not to be hindered by it, but to be furthered and carried on by it in our journey towards heaven, then he makes us to ride on the high places of the earth.
3.We shall have the profit of it: I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father, that is, with all the blessings of the covenant and all the precious products of Canaan (which was a type of heaven), for these were the heritage of Jacob. Observe, The heritage of believers is what they shall not only be portioned with hereafter, but fed with now, fed with the hopes of it, and not flattered, fed with the earnests and foretastes of it; and those that are so fed have reason to say that they are well fed. In order that we may depend upon it, it is added, "The mouth of the Lord has spoken it; you may take God's word for it, for he cannot lie nor deceive; what his mouth has spoken his hand will give, his hand will do, and not one iota or tittle of his good promise shall fall to the ground." Blessed, therefore, thrice blessed, is he that doeth this, and lays hold on it, that keeps the sabbath from polluting it.
(Verse 13.) If you turn your foot away from the Sabbath, and do your own will on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, and holy to the glorious Lord, and honor him by not doing your own ways, nor finding your own will, nor speaking idle words. LXX: If you turn your foot away on the Sabbaths, so as not to do your own desires on the holy day. And you shall call the Sabbaths delightful and holy to the Lord: you shall not lift up your foot for work, nor shall you speak a word ÷ in anger from your mouth. To whom he had said above: Is not this the fast that I have chosen? loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, and the like: even now he promises rewards if he will do what follows (Exod. 20); that is, that he restrain his foot on the sabbaths, and not do his own will, and that he profane not the holy day of the Lord with his own will (or lusts). It is written in the law, that we should not do servile work on the sabbaths, nor kindle fire, nor sit in one place only, but that we should do those works only which pertain to the salvation of the soul. But if we take it literally, it cannot be completely fulfilled. For who can do this, that sitting all day and night on the Sabbath, does not move from one place, indeed, does not even move slightly? And if he does, would he not be a transgressor of the law? Therefore, from one commandment, which is impossible to be taken literally, we are compelled to understand the rest in a spiritual sense, so that we do not perform servile work and lose the freedom of the soul. For whoever commits sin is the servant of sin (John 8): let us not bear the burden on the Sabbath, such as the burden borne by him who says, My iniquities are raised above my head: they are like a heavy burden pressed down upon me (Psalm 38, 5). Let not the wickedness that sits upon the talent of lead have power over us; nor let bodily pleasure and lust prevail. (Zech. 5); For they all commit adultery, and their hearts are like an oven. (Hosea 7); And the fiery darts of the devil are cast, to shoot straight at those with a righteous heart in darkness. (Ps. 10); It is also commanded to us that, having taken hold of the plow, we do not look back; that, ascending the height of the roofs, we do not wish to come down to remove the garments of the world. (Luke 9); but rather that we hear with Moses, 'But you stand here with me' (Exod. 34, 2); and that we sit with the Lord, weary on the way of this world, by the well of the Samaritan woman, desiring the conversion and salvation of the erring. (John 4); that we hear the Apostle admonishing, 'Stand firm and immovable' (1 Cor. 15, 58); that we not suffer what Judas, the traitor, suffered, who lost his place of ministry, and became a transgressor, and that we always remember his words: 'If the spirit of the one who has power ascends over you, do not abandon your place' (Eccles. 10, 4). Here lies one who rests on the Sabbath, washing his hands among the innocent, not moving his feet to carry out his own desires: this person celebrates the delicate Sabbath of the Lord. Sabbath-keeping, as written in the Letter to the Hebrews, is promised to us in heaven, and glory is prepared (Hebrews 4): so that while we do not follow our own ways on the Sabbath, and our own will is not found, we may speak words by which we do not sin in deed or in speech. Otherwise, if these things are only prohibited on the Sabbath, then on the other six days freedom is given to us to commit wrong. But if it is foolish to believe this, it remains that the Sabbath, which is interpreted as rest, should be sanctified at all times by the faithful, while they do the will of not the flesh, but the soul. And what is added, according to the Septuagint, 'in wrath from your mouth', is not found in the Hebrew. For this Sabbath, to be celebrated with all festivity, the Savior calls us in the Gospel, saying: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28); for this signifies 'I will refresh you', so that laying aside the burdens of sins, we may rest in Christ, and say: He has set my feet upon a rock (Psalm 40:3), and avoid that which the holy one says he almost endured: My feet were almost moved (Psalm 73:2).
It is commanded by the law that we do no servile work on the sabbath, that we not light a fire, that we remain seated in one place and that we perform only those works that pertain to the salvation of the soul. Yet, should we receive this according to the letter, it would not be able to be fulfilled perfectly. For who is able to do this, sitting in one place for the entire day and night without moving even slightly, lest he become a transgressor of the law? From this one commandment, therefore, which is impossible to fulfill literally, we are also compelled to understand the others in a spiritual manner, lest we destroy the liberty of the soul by doing servile work. For “whoever commits sin is a slave to sin”; so let us not bear a burden on the sabbath, as did the one who said, “My iniquities have been raised above my head and are on me like an unbearable burden.” Neither should this iniquity that weighs more than lead have power over us, nor should the lustful desire of the body inflame us, for the hearts of all adulterers are like furnaces. …But this promise, “Honor your father and mother, and you will live a long life on the land,” is hardly able to stand according to the letter. For many honor their parents and die quickly, whereas others who commit patricide live for a long time. But that we may know with certainty that this land of which he speaks lies above, let us recall briefly the thirty-sixth psalm, in which it is written, “The meek will possess the land and rejoice in an abundance of peace,” which is followed by “Wait upon the Lord and keep his ways and he will elevate you to possess the land,” about which it is sung in another place, “The just will possess the land and live on it forever.” But this is impossible. For even if the land in which we currently dwell passes over, how will the just live on it forever? Hence, we learn from this that the land in question must be situated above.…
So also in the resurrection, “they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels because they are sons of the resurrection.” The apostle likewise says about food and the stomach: “Food is made for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will destroy both of them.” Thus, how will we, with incorrupt and spiritual and immortal bodies, seek again the vices of the former flesh, which was corrupt and mortal? We say these things not to deny the glorification of the body’s substance but thoroughly to eradicate the former works of those who are like the angels. By contrast, we who imitate angelic virtues while still in this body, through fasting and continence and perpetual chastity and charity, nevertheless do not lose the substance of our bodies.
“If you call the sabbath a delight,” in other words, you honor it for the banquets and the drinks, finding your joy on that day as if it were a party. “If you honor it, not following your will or speaking any word.” Indeed, it was not forbidden to them to speak but it was forbidden to lie. And by the word will he does not prohibit them from doing their own will, but from acting according to a will that is contrary to the will of God. By mentioning the sabbath, he alludes to all the commandments of the law.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 58:13 delivers a profound prophetic call for Israel to transcend superficial religious observance and embrace a holistic, heart-centered approach to Sabbath keeping. It challenges the people to turn away from self-gratification—their own desires, plans, and conversations—and instead to honor the Sabbath as a sacred delight, consecrated to the Lord. This passage underscores that genuine worship and obedience are not found in outward ritual alone, but in a transformed inner disposition that finds its deepest satisfaction and honor in God's holy day and His divine purposes.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 58:13 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its transformative message. The most prominent is Antithesis, which establishes a direct and powerful contrast between two opposing behaviors: the negative act of pursuing self-pleasure on the Sabbath versus the positive act of embracing the Sabbath as a delight and honoring the Lord. This stark contrast highlights the profound spiritual choice confronting the people. Parallelism is also strikingly evident, particularly in the series of repeated negative phrases: "not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words." This triadic structure creates a rhythmic emphasis, underscoring the comprehensive and pervasive nature of self-denial required for true Sabbath observance. The phrase "turn away thy foot from the sabbath" functions as a Metonymy, where "foot" symbolically represents one's actions, movement, or course of life, signifying a complete cessation of self-directed activity that would profane the holy day. Furthermore, the imperative to "call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable" utilizes Personification by attributing human qualities of being esteemed, delighted in, and honored to the day itself, thereby elevating its status and emphasizing its inherent sacredness and divine purpose.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 58:13 stands as a pivotal text for grasping the profound spiritual depth of Sabbath observance, moving far beyond a mere legalistic adherence to a day of rest. It reveals God's desire for a heart that genuinely delights in Him and His divine purposes, rather than a grudging compliance with external rules. The passage intrinsically connects the sanctity of time to the sanctity of life, implying that how one utilizes their consecrated time profoundly reflects their true devotion and priorities. It powerfully underscores that authentic worship necessitates a surrender of self-will—our own desires, plans, and even casual conversations—to God's will, recognizing His ultimate sovereignty over all aspects of our existence. This holistic approach to the Sabbath serves as a microcosm for a life lived in full submission and honor to the Lord, where our greatest pleasure and deepest satisfaction are found in His presence, His purposes, and His glory.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 58:13 issues a radical invitation for us to re-evaluate our perception and utilization of time, especially those moments we intend to set aside for spiritual focus. In a world that relentlessly demands our "ways," "pleasures," and "words" for personal advancement, entertainment, or constant productivity, this verse calls us to a counter-cultural act of consecrating time to the Lord. It's not merely about abstaining from certain activities, but about actively cultivating a heart that finds its deepest "delight" in God and His holiness. This implies intentionally disengaging from the relentless pursuit of self-gratification, the pressing demands of our own agendas, and even the casual, often trivial, chatter that fills our days. Instead, we are called to intentionally focus on communion with God, profound reflection on His Word, and engaging in acts of worship and service that genuinely honor Him. True Sabbath-keeping, in this profound sense, becomes a weekly spiritual discipline that reorients our entire being towards God, serving as a powerful reminder that our ultimate satisfaction, purpose, and flourishing are found in Him alone.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "turn away thy foot from the sabbath" mean?
Answer: This phrase is a powerful Hebrew idiom meaning to cease from trampling upon, profaning, or disrespecting the Sabbath. It implies a conscious and deliberate refraining from activities that would desecrate the holy day, particularly those driven by personal gain, self-pleasure, or routine secular pursuits. It's about intentionally choosing to honor the Sabbath by not using it for one's own purposes, but for God's sacred design.
Is this verse only about the literal Sabbath day (Saturday)?
Answer: While the immediate historical and literary context of Isaiah 58:13 refers to the literal seventh-day Sabbath as observed by ancient Israel, the profound spiritual principles articulated in the verse extend far beyond a specific calendar day to encompass the spirit of consecration, devotion, and delight in God. For Christians, while the New Testament does not rigidly enforce Saturday Sabbath observance, the underlying principles of setting aside dedicated time for God, resting from self-driven pursuits, finding delight in Him, and honoring Him with our time, resources, and speech remain profoundly relevant. It encourages a lifestyle of intentional rest, worship, and spiritual reorientation, whether observed on Sunday (the Lord's Day) or through other dedicated rhythms of life.
How does "not speaking thine own words" apply to modern life?
Answer: "Not speaking thine own words" refers to refraining from idle chatter, gossip, business discussions, trivial conversations, or any discourse that distracts from the sacred and spiritual purpose of the time set apart for God. In modern life, this could mean intentionally limiting discussions about work, finances, worldly concerns, or frivolous entertainment on a day or time consecrated to God. It encourages intentional conversation focused on spiritual growth, mutual encouragement, worship, and communion with God and fellow believers, fostering an atmosphere of reverence, reflection, and delight in the Lord.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 58:13, with its profound call to true Sabbath observance, finds its ultimate fulfillment and transformative reinterpretation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament Sabbath was a shadow, Christ is the very substance and reality to which it pointed (Colossians 2:16-17). Jesus boldly declared Himself to be the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28), asserting His supreme authority over its interpretation and practice. He consistently challenged the legalistic and burdensome interpretations of the Pharisees, who had reduced the Sabbath to a rigid set of external rules, much as Isaiah rebuked Israel for their superficial fasting. Jesus powerfully demonstrated that the Sabbath was made for humanity's true benefit and flourishing, not humanity for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). His acts of healing and liberation on the Sabbath (e.g., Luke 13:10-17) revealed that true Sabbath-keeping involves acts of mercy, compassion, and restoration, aligning perfectly with Isaiah 58's broader call for justice and righteousness. Ultimately, Christ Himself is our true and eternal rest, the one in whom we cease from our own works and find profound spiritual delight (Hebrews 4:9-10). The call to "turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure" is perfectly fulfilled in the believer's surrender to Christ, finding our "delight" not in our own ways or words, but in the life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection of the One who provides eternal rest and brings true honor to God (Matthew 11:28-30). Through Him, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life that genuinely honors God, not merely on a specific day, but in every aspect of our existence, reflecting the spirit of the Sabbath in our daily walk.